Shabtin Village Profile

Prepared by

The Applied Research Institute – Jerusalem

Funded by

Spanish Cooperation

2012

Palestinian Localities Study Ramallah Governorate

Acknowledgments

ARIJ hereby expresses its deep gratitude to the Spanish Agency for International Cooperation for Development (AECID) for their funding of this project.

ARIJ is grateful to the Palestinian officials in the ministries, municipalities, joint services councils, village committees and councils, and the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS) for their assistance and cooperation with the project team members during the data collection process.

ARIJ also thanks all the staff who worked throughout the past couple of years towards the accomplishment of this work.

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Background

This booklet is part of a series of booklets, which contain compiled information about each city, town, and village in Ramallah Governorate. These booklets came as a result of a comprehensive study of all localities in Ramallah Governorate, which aims at depicting the overall living conditions in the governorate and presenting developmental plans to assist in developing the livelihood of the population in the area. It was accomplished through the "Village Profiles and Needs Assessment;" the project funded by the Spanish Agency for International Cooperation for Development (AECID).

The "Village Profiles and Needs Assessment" was designed to study, investigate, analyze and document the socio-economic conditions and the needed programs and activities to mitigate the impact of the current unsecure political, economic and social conditions in Ramallah Governorate.

The project's objectives are to survey, analyze, and document the available natural, human, socioeconomic and environmental resources, and the existing limitations and needs assessment for the development of the rural and marginalized areas in Ramallah Governorate. In addition, the project aims at preparing strategic developmental programs and activities to mitigate the impact of the current political, social, and economic instability with the focus on the agricultural sector.

All locality profiles in Arabic and English are available online at http://vprofile.arij.org.

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Table of Contents

Location and Physical Characteristics ______4 History ______5 Religious and Archaeological Sites ______5 Population ______6 Education ______7 Health Status ______7 Economic Activities ______8 Agricultural Sector ______9 Institutions and Services ______12 Infrastructure and Natural Resources ______12 Impact of the Israeli Occupation ______15 Development Plans and Projects ______19 Implemented Projects ______19 Proposed Projects ______20 Locality Development Priorities and Needs ______21 References: ______21

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Shabtin Village Profile

Location and Physical Characteristics

Shabtin is a Palestinian village in Ramallah Governorate located 16.4km north-west of Ramallah City. Shabtin is bordered by Al Itihad to the east, Shuqba village to the north, Ni‟lin town lands to the west, and Deir Qaddis village to the south (ARIJ GIS, 2012) (See Map 1).

Map 1: Shabtin location and borders

Source: ARIJ GIS, 2012

Shabtin is located at an altitude of 243m above sea level with a mean annual rainfall of 554.3mm. The average annual temperature is 19 o C, whilst the average annual humidity is approximately 61% (ARIJ GIS, 2012).

Since 1997, Shabtin has been governed by a Village Council which is currently administrated by 5 members appointed by the Palestinian National Authority. The village council owns a permanent headquarters, but it does not possess a vehicle to collect solid waste (Shabtin Village Council, 2011).

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It is the responsibility of the village council to provide a number of services to the residents of Shabtin, including (Shabtin Village Council, 2011):

 Infrastructure services such, as water and electricity provision and management.  Solid waste collection and social development services.  Establishment of a sewage network.  Implementing projects and studies in the village.

History

Shabtin village was named after a Pharaonic king called “Shib” who resided in the village. The sound “tin” was later added to the name to become “Shabtin” (Shabtin Village Council, 2011).

The village‟s establishment dates back to the year 1700 and its residents originate from Deir Nidham, „Abud, Kharbatha al Misbah and other villages (Shabtin Village Council, 2011) .

Religious and Archaeological Sites

In terms of religious establishments, there are two mosques in the village; Shabtin al Kabeer and Shabtin as Sagheer Mosques. As for the archaeological sites in the village, there is an Omari mosque, Ahmad an Nubani shrine, Ash Sheikh Sultan well and two olive oil-press that dates back to the Abbasid era (Shabtin Village Council, 2011).

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Map 2: Main locations in Shabtin Village

Source: ARIJ GIS, 2012

Population

According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS), the total population of Shabtin in 2007 was 793; of whom 422 were males and 371 female. There were further registered to be 149 households living in 157 housing units.

Age Groups and Gender

The General Census of Population and Housing carried out by PCBS in 2007 showed the distribution of age groups in Shabtin was as follows: 44.6% were less than 15 years, 52.7% were between 15 - 64 years, whilst 1.9% were 65 years and older. Data also showed that the sex ratio of males to females in the village was 113.7:100, meaning that males and females constitute 53.2% and 46.8% of the population, respectively.

Families

Shabtin residents are composed of several families, mainly: Mheisin, Dheeb, Abu „Adi, Abu Ali and Abu Dalal (Shabtin Village Council, 2011).

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Immigration

The field survey conducted by the ARIJ team in 2011 showed that 7 families have left the village since the second Intifada of 2000 (Shabtin Village Council, 2011).

Education

According to the results of the PCBS Population, Housing and Establishment Census- 2007, the illiteracy rate among Shabtin population was approximately 6.1%, of whom 75.8% were females. Of the literate population, 24.8% could read and write, with no formal education, 32.8% had elementary education, 26.4% had preparatory education, 7.9% had secondary education, and 1.1% completed higher education. Table 1, shows the educational level in the village of Shabtin, by sex, and educational attainment in 2007.

Table 1: Shabtin population (10 years and above) by sex and educational attainment S Can Associate Higher Maste E Illiterate read & Elementary Preparatory Secondary Bachelor PhD Unknown Total Diploma Diploma r x write M 8 62 106 87 28 1 3 - - - 3 298 F 25 73 73 57 15 1 1 - - - 2 247 T 33 135 179 144 43 2 4 - - - 5 545 Source: PCBS, 2009.

With regards to the basic and secondary education institutions and schools in Shabtin, for the academic year 2010/2011, there was only one public school; Shabtin Co-educated Secondary School; run by the Palestinian Ministry of Higher Education (MoEHE), but there are no kindergartens in the village (Directorate of Education in Ramallah, 2011).

PCBS‟ survey further records that in the village there were 251 students, 19 teachers, and 12 classes registered (Directorate of Education in Ramallah, 2011). It should be noted here that the average number of students per teacher in the school was nearly 13, whilst the average number of students per class was approximately 21.

In case of the lack of educational levels or types of schooling in the village (e.g. scientific stream) students head to Ni‟lin Secondary School which is 5kmfrom the village (Shabtin Village Council, 2011).

Health Status

There are a number of health facilities available in Shabtin village, including; a public physician clinic and a public motherhood and childhood center. In the case of emergencies or the absence of any needed health service in the village, residents of Shabtin use the neighboring localities‟ public health clinics and centers in Shuqba and

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Ni‟lin, which are 2.5 and 5km away from the village, respectively (Shabtin Village Council, 2011).

The health sector in the village suffers some obstacles and problems, including (Shabtin Village Council, 2011):

 The lack of a number of necessary and important medicines in the village.  The lack of laboratories and X-ray centers.  The lack of specialized doctors.  The lack of an ambulance.

Economic Activities

The economy in Shabtin is dependent on several economic sectors, mainly the Israeli labor market, which absorbs 95% of the village workforce (Shabtin Village Council, 2011) (See Figure1).

The results of a field survey conducted by ARIJ team in 2011 for the distribution of labor by economic activity in Shabtin, are as follows (Shabtin Village Council, 2011):

 Israeli Labor Market (95%)  Agriculture Sector (2%)  Trade Sector (2%)  Government or Private Employees Sector (1%)

Figure 1: Economic Activity in Shabtin Village

Israeli labor Market 95%

Agriculture Sector Government or 2% Other Employees Trade Sector 2% Sector 1%

Source: Shabtin Village Council, 2011

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There are no industrial productions or parks in Shabtin village. However there are four grocery stores, one butchery and two different services stores are (Shabtin Village Council, 2011). However, the economical group most affected by the Israeli restrictions are workers in the agriculture sector (Shabtin Village Council, 2011).

Labor Force

According to the PCBS Population, Housing and Establishment Census-2007, 32.5% of Shabtin labor force was economically active, of whom 96% were employed, 67.5% were not economically active, 51.4% were students, and 41.6% were housekeepers (See table 2). Table 2: Shabtin population (10 years and above) by sex and employment status-2007 Economically Active Not Economically Active S Not working Total Currently Unemployed Un- E House- Unable & Not Employed Unemployed (Never Total Students Other Total known keeping to work looking X worked) for work M 167 3 3 173 112 - 10 2 1 125 - 298 F 3 - 1 4 77 153 13 - - 243 - 247

T 170 3 4 177 189 153 23 2 1 368 - 545 Source: PCBS, 2009.

Agricultural Sector

Shabtin village lies on an area of 4,478 dunums, of which 579 dunums are considered arable lands, and 162 dunums are dedicated to residential services (see table 3 and map 3).

Table 3: Land use and land cover in Shabtin village in 2010 (area in dunum) Area of Agricultural area Area of Industrial, Built (579) Settlement, Total Inland Open Commercial up Forests Military Area water Spaces & Area Permanent Green- Range Arable Bases & Transport Crops houses -lands lands Wall Zone Unit 4,478 162 338 0 0 241 0 0 3,000 363 374 Source: ARIJ – GIS Unit, 2012.

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Map 3: Land use/land cover and Segregation Wall in Shabtin Village

Source: ARIJ GIS, 2012

Table 4 shows the different types of rain-fed and irrigated open-cultivated vegetables in Shabtin. The most common crops cultivated within this area are tomatoes and squash. Table 4: Total area of rain-fed and irrigated open cultivated vegetables in Shabtin village (dunum)

Fruity Leafy Green Other Bulbs Total area vegetables vegetable legumes vegetables RF Irr. RF Irr. RF Irr. RF Irr. RF Irr. RF Irr. 23 0 0 0 13 0 5 0 0 0 41 0 Rf: Rain-fed, Irr: Irrigated Source: Palestinian Ministry of Agriculture, 2009

Table 5 shows the different types of fruit trees planted in the area. Shabtin is famous for olives; there being a total of 571.5 dunums of village lands planted with olive trees.

Table 5: Total area of fruit and olive trees in Shabtin village (dunum) Olives Citrus Stone- Pome Nuts Other Total area fruits fruits fruits Rf Irr. Rf Irr. Rf Irr. Rf Irr. Rf Irr. Rf Irr. Rf Irr. 571.5 0 0 0 20 0 0 0 8 0 51 0 650.5 0 Rf: Rain-fed, Irr: Irrigated Source: Palestinian Ministry of Agriculture, 2009

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As for the field crops and forage in Shabtin, cereals, (in particular wheat) are the most cultivated and cover an area of approximately 240 dunums (See table 6). Table 6: Total area of field crops in Shabtin village (dunum)

Cereals Bulbs Dry Oil Forage Stimulating Other Total legumes crops crops crops crops area Rf Irr Rf Irr Rf Irr Rf Irr Rf Irr Rf Irr Rf Irr Rf Irr 240 0 28 0 15 0 5 0 30 0 0 0 0 0 318 0 Rf: Rain-fed, Irr: Irrigated Source: Palestinian Ministry of Agriculture, 2009

The field survey conducted by ARIJ team shows that 10% of the residents in Shabtin rear and keep domestic animals such as sheeps andgoats (Shabtin Village Council, 2011) (See Table 7).

Table 7: Livestock in Shabtin village Cows* Sheep Goats Camels Horses Donkeys Mules Broilers Layers Bee Hives 5 88 259 0 0 0 0 28,800 0 7 *Including cows, bull calves, heifer calves and bulls Source: Palestinian Ministry of Agriculture, 2009

There are additionally approximately 6.5 kilometers of agricultural roads in the village, divided as follows (Shabtin Village Council, 2011):

Table 8: Agricultural Roads in Shabtin Village and their Lengths Suitability of Agricultural Roads Length (km) For vehicles 2 For tractors and agricultural machinery only 2 For animals only 2.5 Unsuitable - Source: Shabtin Village Council, 2011

However, the agricultural sector in the village faces some obstacles, mainly (Shabtin Village Council, 2011):

 The lack of water sources.  The lack of agricultural lands for grazing due to the existence of settlements near the locality.  The lack of capital to invest in agricultural business.  The lack of labor force (agricultural workers).

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Institutions and Services

There are no governmental offices in the village and only a couple of local organizations and associations that provide services in several fields including culture, sports, etc. Those local bodies are (Shabtin Village Council, 2011):

 Shabtin Village Council: Established in 1997 by the Palestinian National Authority so as to carry out public services to the village‟s residents.  Shabtin Youth Society: Established in 2001 by young people in the village and is currently registered in the Ministry of Youth & Sports.

Infrastructure and Natural Resources

Electricity and Telecommunication Services:

Shabtin has been connected to a public electricity network since 1988, served by Jerusalem Electricity Company, which is the main source of electricity in the village. Approximately 99% of the housing units in the village are connected to the network. However, the village residents suffer some problems concerning electricity, mainly that the electricity network is not connected to all neighborhoods in the village (Shabtin Village Council, 2011).

Furthermore, Shabtin is connected to a telecommunication network and approximately 30% of the housing units within the village boundaries are connected to phone lines (Shabtin Village Council, 2011).

Transportation Services:

There are no transportation means in Shabtin village; the residents depend on neighboring village‟s Shuqba village‟s public cars for their transportation (Shabtin Village Council, 2011). As for the road network in the village; there are a total of 2.85km of main roads and 0.25km of secondary roads (Shabtin Village Council, 2011) (See table 9).

Table 9: Length, type and condition of road system in Shabtin village Road length (km) No. Condition of roads Main Secondary 1 Good paved roads 1.5 0.25 2 Paved roads but in bad condition - - 3 Unpaved roads 1.35 - Source: Shabtin Village Council, 2011

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Water Resources:

Shabtin is provided with water by the West Bank Water Department, through the public water network established in 1978. Approximately, all of Shabtin housing units (100%) are connected to this network (Shabtin Village Council, 2011).

The quantity of water supplied to Shabtin in 2008 is approximately 11,520 cubic meters/ year (PWA, 2009). The estimated rate of water supply per capita is around 40 liters/day. Moreover, the price of one cubic meter of water from the public water network is 4 NIS/cubic meter. Here it should be noted that no Shabtin citizen in fact consumes this amount of water due to water losses, which are estimated at 20%. The losses happen at the main source, major transport lines, distribution network, and at the household level, thus the rate of water consumption per capita in Shabtin is in reality, 32 liters per day (Shabtin Village Council, 2011). This is a low rate compared with the minimum quantity proposed by the World Health Organization, which is 100 liters per capita per day. Additionally located in Shabtin are 7 rainwater harvesting cisterns. Moreover, the price of one cubic meter of water from the public water network is 4 NIS/cubic meter (Shabtin Village Council, 2011).

Sanitation:

Shabtin has been connected to a public sewerage network since 2000 (Shabtin Village Council, 2011). According to the results of a community survey conducted by the Applied Research Institute – Jerusalem (ARIJ) in 2010 as part of the project "A Proposed Environmentally Sound Wastewater Management System for the West Bank", 80% of Shabtin housing units use the sewage network as a means for wastewater disposal, whilst the rest of housing units (20%) use cesspits (ARIJ & CENTA, 2010).

Based on the estimated daily per capita water consumption, the amount of wastewater generated per day is approximately 20 cubic meters, or 7,373 cubic meters annually. At the individual level in the village it is estimated that the per capita wastewater generation is 22 liters per day, depending on the consumption rate. The amount of wastewater collected annually through the sewerage network is approximately 5,898 cubic meters. Furthermore, approximately 1,475 cubic meters of wastewater are being collected by cesspits and discharged by wastewater tankers. The wastewater collected by cesspits is discharged by wastewater tankers directly to open areas or nearby valleys with no regard for the environment. There is no wastewater treatment either at the source or at the disposal sites and this poses a serious threat to both environmental and public health (ARIJ-WERU, 2012).

Solid Waste Management:

The „Joined Services Council for Planning & Development in Ramallah Western Villages‟ is considered the official body responsible for managing solid waste, i.e. solid waste collection and disposal, generated from the citizens and establishments in the village, which is currently represented by solid waste collection and disposal. Due to the

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fact that the process of solid waste management is costly, a monthly fee has been charged on the population serviced by domestic solid waste collection and transportation services which is approximately 10 NIS/month. However, the collected fees are not considered sufficient for a good management of solid waste, especially given that only 60% of these fees are collected from the citizens (Shabtin Village Council, 2011).

Most of the population in Shabtin benefit from the solid waste services, whereby waste is collected from households, institutions, shops, and public squares in plastic bags and then transferred to particular places in the village, due to the absence of containers to collect the solid waste. The Joined Council collects the solid waste from the containers two days a week and transports it through a waste vehicle to Qibya dumping site, which is 8km away from the village. The common method for solid waste treatment in this dumping site is setting waste on fire (Shabtin Village Council, 2011).

The daily per capita rate of solid waste production in Shabtin is 0.7kg. Thus the estimated amount of solid waste produced per day from the Shabtin residents is nearly 0.6 ton, or 203 tons per year (ARIJ-WERU, 2012).

Environmental Conditions

Like other villages and towns in the Governorate, Shabtin experiences several environmental problems which must be addressed and solved. These problems can be identified as follows:

Water Crisis

 Water is cut off by the West Bank Water Department for long periods of time in many neighborhoods of the village for several reasons: (1) Israeli control over Palestinian water resources. (2) High rate of water losses, because of the water network‟s old condition which is in need of rehabilitation  The lack of a public water reservoir in the village.

Wastewater Management

 The absence of a public sewage network in some neighborhoods (20%) forces the village residents to use unhygienic cesspits for the disposal of wastewater, and to discharge wastewater in the streets. This is particularly common in winter, as citizens cannot afford the high cost of sewage tankers during this period. These methods facilitate environmental damage, health problems, and the spread of epidemics and diseases in the village. This is because most cesspits are built without lining which avoids the need to use sewage tankers which allows wastewater to enter into the ground. This in turn mixes with the waste water, thus making it unsuitable for drinking.

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Solid Waste Management:

 The lack of a central sanitary landfill to serve Shabtin and the other neighboring communities in the Governorate is due mainly to the obstacles created by the Israeli authorities. Restrictions include not granting construction licenses to establish a landfill for local and national institutions, on the reasoning that the appropriate land is within Area C and under full Israeli control. Additionally, the implementation of such projects depends on funding from donor countries. The lack of a sanitary landfill is a source of pollution to the groundwater and soil through the leachate produced from the solid waste which produces bad odors and distortion of the landscape.

Impact of the Israeli Occupation

Shabtin Village under Oslo Accord

According to the Oslo II Interim Agreement signed between the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) and Israel on 28th September 1995, Shabtin village was divided into politically classified areas „B‟ and „C‟. Approximately 324 dunums (7.2% of the total village area) are assigned as Area B, where the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) has complete control over civil matters but Israel continues to have overriding responsibility for security. Area B constitutes most of the inhabited Palestinian areas, including municipalities, villages, and some refugee camps. The majority of the village‟s population resides in Area B. Approximately 4,154 dunums (92.8% of the total village area) is classified as Area C, where Israel retains full control over security and administration. In Area C Palestinian building and land management is prohibited unless through a permit given by the Israeli Civil Administration. Most of the lands lying within Area C are open spaces and agricultural lands in addition to Israeli settlements (Table 10).

Table 10: The geopolitical divisions of Shabtin village according to the Oslo II interim agreement in 1995 Percent of total village Area Area in dunums area Area A 0 0 Area B 324 7.2 Area C 4,154 92.8 Nature Reserve 0 0 Total 4,478 100 Source: ARIJ-GIS Unit, 2011

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Israeli Occupation Practices in Shabtin

Thousands of dunums of land have been confiscated from Shabtin for different Israeli purposes, including the building of Israeli settlements and outposts on the village‟s lands. In addition, the construction of Israeli bypass roads facilitates connecting settlements with one another, in addition to isolating Palestinian lands. The construction of the Segregation Wall further serves to isolate Palestinian lands. Below are details on Israeli land confiscations in Shabtin.

During the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territory, the Israeli government has confiscated 374 dunums of land from Shabtin village to establish Nili and Na'aleh settlements to its south. These settlements are currently inhabited by more than 1,781 Israeli settlers. It should be noted that Nili settlement was constructed on lands of Shabtin and Deir Qaddis villages, while Na'aleh settlement was mainly constructed on land of Deir Qaddis village and AL-Itihad town (which includes Beitillu, Jammala and Deir „Ammar localities), and only a small part of it was constructed on Shabtin land (Table 11).

Table 11: Israeli Settlements constructed over Shabtin lands Settlement Name Establishment Lands confiscated from Population Date Shabtin village Nili 1981 315 846 Na'aleh 1982 59 935 Total 374 1781 Source: The Geo-informatics Department – ARIJ 2011

Israeli settlers living in settlements established on Shabtin lands have had a significant impact on Palestinians and their properties in Shabtin village. These attacks have contributed to the loss of Palestinian lands adjacent to settlements as landowners are prevented from accessing their lands, which have been fenced with barbed wire and planted with trees. Israeli settlers have also carried out a series of attacks against Palestinian landowners in an attempt to intimidate them and deter them from returning to their lands adjacent to the aforementioned settlements. Moreover, in September 2012 an attack on Shabtin village lands took place. The Regional Council in the neighboring Nili Israeli settlement attempted to confiscate 30 dunums of land to establish a park for the settlement on village territory. Currently, official Israeli bodies located within the aforementioned settlement throw piles of waste and dirt on a daily basis in order to settle the above-mentioned area.

The Israeli Segregation Wall Plan in Shabtin Village

The Israeli Segregation Wall plan has had a negative and destructive impact on Shabtin residents. The latest route of the Israeli Segregation Wall Plan, published on the Israeli Ministry of Defense's website on April 30 2007, shows that the planned Wall south of the village extends for 3.2 km on the village land. This extension will ensure that Nili and Na'aleh settlements are integrated within the western segregation area, through which

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Israel seeks to include the major Israeli settlement blocs into Israel (these include 85% of the Israeli population census), in addition to the confiscation of natural resources and isolating thousands of dunums of Palestinian lands. In addition, the Wall will confiscate and isolate 695 dunums (16%) of the village total area. The lands included within the segregation area planned on the village lands include Israeli settlements constructed on the village land in addition to open spaces (See Table 12).

Table 12: Land Classification of the Isolated lands in Shabtin Village – Ramallah Governorate No. Land Classification Area (in dunums) 1 Israeli Settlements 366 2 Open Spaces 329 Total 695 Source: The Geo-informatics Department – ARIJ 2011

Upon the completion of the Segregation Wall plan in the area, Palestinian localities will become isolated from each other. In addition to the confiscation of thousands of agricultural and non-agricultural lands is planned for the settlement expansion, which would increase the suffering of the Palestinians in Shabtin and the surrounding villages, as the settlement scheme will prevent urban expansion and the use of agricultural lands in the village‟s southern area.

It should be noted that the Israeli Segregation Wall scheme in the West Bank has undergone several modifications since its announcement in June 2002, all of which serve Israeli colonial interests in the occupied West Bank. They have not altered these plans despite objections submitted by Palestinians through the Israeli courts against the Wall, and the economic losses and suffering it poses on Palestinian citizens. Nili and Na'aleh settlements are of the main examples of losses suffered by Palestinians as a result of Segregation Wall expansion. According to the Segregation Wall plan issued on the 30th of June 2006, it shows that each of Nili and Na'aleh Israeli settlements are located outside the western isolation area (outside the area Israel intends to annex to its borders upon the completion of construction of the Wall ). However, the recent amendments made on the Segregation Wall scheme, which were issued in 2007 shows that Israel included these two settlements into the western isolation area to become part of the settlements, which Israel intends to annex to its borders.

The Israeli Government confiscated thousands of agricultural and non-agricultural lands to open several bypass roads that stretch thousands of kilometers from the north to the south of the West Bank. The purpose of the bypass roads is to link Israeli settlements with one another, dismembering Palestinian lands and enhancing their security control over it. Israel has additionally confiscated more lands of Shabtin and lands to its north, south and west, for the construction of the Israeli bypass roads no. 463 and 446 which extend for 3.5km within Shabtin. The real threat of bypass roads however, lies in the buffer zone formed by the IOF along these roads, extending to approximately 75 m on each side of the road. These buffer zones dramatically increase the total area of land affected by the construction of the bypass roads.

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Following the outbreak of the second Intifada in 2000, the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) have established a military checkpoint between Shuqba and Shabtin villages. This checkpoint is represented by an iron gate established on the villages‟ main entrance on the bypass road 446, with the aim of preventing Palestinians from approaching this road. However, it is noteworthy that recently; after long years of suffering and pressures put on Israeli forces by residents of the two villages, the occupation forces removed this checkpoint. During the period of the checkpoint, Palestinians were forced to use alternative long roads. However, to this day, Shabtin residents must use a one way route through Shuqba village through the use of a tunnel connecting the two villages, which passes under bypass road 446. In addition, the Israeli occupation authorities set up a military watchtower east of the village near the bypass road to consolidate their control over the region, in addition to a wall gate on the route of the Segregation Wall in the western region of the village. These military barriers aim to restrict the movement of Palestinians of this village in particular and of other neighboring villages. The IOF claim that these are necessary for the protection of settlers living close to the village who require use of the bypass road.

In addition, lands of Shabtin village have been forcefully seized by Israeli settlers to build two Israeli outposts in the area surrounding Nili and Na'aleh settlements, which are “North Na‟aleh” and “Northwest Na‟aleh” Israeli outposts, in an attempt to expand the aforementioned Israeli settlements and control further lands.

During the last two decades, Israel built 232 outposts in the West Bank and are considered the nucleus for the development of new settlements. Outposts are composed of mobile caravans, which are located on lands stolen by the settlers and they are a contiguity of a mother settlement that is nearby. It is worth mentioning that the epidemic of Israeli outposts started with a “Sharonian” call for Jewish settlers to take control over Palestinian hilltops to prevent transferring them to Palestinians in negotiations. Although successive Israeli governments haven‟t legalized this phenomenon, they managed to find a security and logistic cover to justify the act and its existence and continuity. After 2001 the Prime Minister at that time, Ariel Sharon, unleashed the expansion of outposts which has led to a significant increase in the number of outposts within Palestinian areas. In addition, IOF helped Israeli settlers to move and settle in those outposts, in addition to protecting and providing them with the necessary infrastructure to guarantee their continued existence.

Israeli quarries and crushers on Shabtin and Shuqba land confiscate further land and damage the environment

Few years ago Israel established on the territory of Shabtin and Shuqba villages, a crusher and a factory for stone industry specifically in Wadi an Natoof area, causing devastating environmental impact, through air and soil pollution, to the village and its surroundings. In addition, there has been a loss of a total area of 257 dunums from both villages for the establishment of the crusher, which lies approximately 500 meters from

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the urban areas in each of the two villages. Shuqba and Shabtin are considered the most affected villages of this crusher.

The land on which the Israeli stone crusher was established is owned by Palestinians from the two villages whom possess documented proof of ownership. However, according to Israeli authorities‟ claims; this land is not presently being exploited by Palestinian citizens, which therefore gives the occupation authorities the right to confiscate it. It is worth noting that at the end of 2011, the Israeli Supreme Court issued a decision that allows Israeli quarries to continue working within the occupied West Bank. This decision means that Israeli bodies can continue to extract raw materials from existing quarries within the West Bank, however are unable to establish new quarries in this region. This decision came after two years of submitting an objection by a number of human rights and humanitarian organizations against such quarries in the West Bank. A report undertaken by the Applied Research Institute – Jerusalem (ARIJ), shows that Israel transfers and sells 94% of extracted raw materials from the occupied Palestinian territories to Israel, which, in turn constitutes approximately 25% of raw materials that Israel consumes. Israel exploits other natural resources such as water, for the purpose of quarrying and the extraction of raw materials, at the expense of Palestinians within the West Bank whom need this water as a vital life source. This is a clear breach of international law which emphasizes that an occupying power should not exploit natural resources existing in the occupied Palestinian territories for its economic favor as natural resources should be used only for the benefit of those who are under occupation or temporarily used for military purposes.

Development Plans and Projects

Implemented Projects

Shabtin Village Council has implemented several development projects in Shabtin, during the last five years, as shown in Table 13.

Table 31: Implemented Development Plans and Projects in Shabtin Name of the Project Type Year Donor

Pavement of internal roads Infrastructure 2118 Ministry of Finance Establishment of a water network Infrastructure 2117 UNDP Construction of classrooms Educational 2006 IOCC Source: Shabtin Village Council, 2011

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Proposed Projects

Shabtin Village Council, in cooperation with the civil society organizations in the village and the village residents, looks forward to the implementation of several projects in the coming years. The project ideas were developed during the PRA workshop that was conducted by ARIJ staff in the village. The projects are as follows, in order of priority, from the perspectives of the participants in the workshop:

1. Expanding the structural plan of the village. 2. Constructing and rehabilitating agricultural roads for access to agricultural lands. 3. Constructing agricultural wells in order to cultivate agricultural lands during the summer period. 4. Reclaiming lands and constructing retaining walls. 5. Rehabilitating the village‟s ancient well as it helps to supply agricultural lands. 6. Completing the village‟s sewerage network. 7. Establishing wastewater treatment unit in cooperation with neighboring localities. 8. Rehabilitating the landfill joined with neighboring localities. 9. Providing the village with a number of waste containers. 10. Paving the village‟s internal roads

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Locality Development Priorities and Needs

Shabtin suffers from a significant shortage of infrastructure and services. Table 14 shows the development priorities and needs in the village, according to the village council‟s perspective (Shabtin Village Council, 2011).

Table 34: Development Priorities and Needs in Shabtin Village

No. Sector Strongly Needed Not a Notes Needed Priority Infrastructural Needs 1 Opening and pavement of roads * 3.85km 2 Rehabilitation of old water networks * 3 Extending the water network to cover new built up 1.5km * areas 4 Construction of new water networks * 5 Rehabilitation/ construction of new wells or springs * 6 Construction of water reservoirs * 111m3 7 Construction of a sewage disposal network * 10km 8 Construction of a new electricity network * 10km 9 Providing containers for solid waste collection * 30 containers 10 Providing vehicles for collecting solid waste * 1 11 Providing a sanitary landfill site * Health Needs 1 Building of new clinics or health care centres * 2 Rehabilitation of old clinics or health care centres * 3 Purchasing of medical equipment and tools * Educational Needs 1 Building of new schools * 2 Rehabilitation of old schools the co-educated * secondary school 3 Purchasing new equipment for schools developing a * scientific laboratory Agriculture Needs 1 Rehabilitation of agricultural lands * 300 dunums 2 Building rainwater harvesting cisterns * 35 cisterns 3 Construction of livestock barracks * 4 Provision of veterinary services * 5 Provision of seeds and hay for animals * 100 tons/ year 6 Construction of new greenhouses * 8 greenhouses 7 Rehabilitation of greenhouses * 8 Provision of field crops seeds * 9 Provision of plants and agricultural supplies * 1.35km are sub roads and 2.5km are agricultural roads Source: Shabtin Village Council, 2011

21 Palestinian Localities Study Ramallah Governorate

References:

 Applied Research Institute - Jerusalem (ARIJ), 2012. Geographic Information Systems and Remote Sensing Unit Database. Bethlehem - Palestine.  Applied Research Institute - Jerusalem (ARIJ), 2012. Geographic Information Systems and Remote Sensing Unit; Land Use Analysis (2010) – Half Meter High Accuracy. Bethlehem - Palestine.  Applied Research Institute - Jerusalem (ARIJ). 2012. Water & Environment Research Unit Database (WERU). Bethlehem - Palestine.  Applied Research Institute - Jerusalem (ARIJ) & Spanish Centre of New Water Technologies (CENTA) (2010). A Proposed Environmentally Sound Wastewater Management System for the West Bank. 2010. Bethlehem – Palestine.  Ministry of Education & Higher Education (MOHE) - Ramallah, 2011. Directorate of Education; A database of schools (2010/2011). Ramallah – Palestine.  Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics. 2009. Ramallah, Palestine: General Census of Population and Housing Censuses, 2007.  Palestinian Ministry of Agriculture (MOA), 2009. Directorate of Agriculture data (2008/2009). Ramallah - Palestine.  Palestinian Water Authority. 2009. Ramallah, Palestine: Quantities of Water Supply & Consumption in the West Bank Governorates, 2008.  Shabtin Village Council, 2011.

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